Won’t accept A-certificate for ‘Aakrosh’: Priyadarshan

MUMBAI - The censor board has clamped down heavily on the dialogues and visuals of Priyadarshan’s “Aakrosh”, a film on honour killing. The director says he would neither accept cuts nor the A-certificate for his issue-based directorial venture.

“How can I put across a social issue without hard-hitting visuals? Let the film go to the revising committee. My producer Kumar Mangat and I are not accepting any cuts,” said Priyadarshan.

“This is the first time in my entire career of 25 years and 81 films that a film of mine has got into censor trouble. And I am not amused.”

Set in Jhanjhar in Bihar, the film revolves around the killings of three students of Delhi University who go missing in the dusty village. The government appoints two CBI officers - Siddhant Chaturvedi and Pratap Kumar - to solve the case.

Starring Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna, Paresh Rawal and Bipasha Basu, “Aakrosh” is set to hit screens Oct 8.

“On one hand I am accused of selling out mindless comedies, (but) none of my supposedly mindless comedies has ever got into trouble. On the other hand when I make an issue-based film, it gets stuck. How will I do something meaningful when our moral guardians don’t seem to believe in my vision?”

Priyadarshan admits there are shocking scenes of violence in the film. But he feels they are indispensable to the film’s subject.

“It is hard-hitting. But not an offbeat experimental film. We want younger generations to watch the film, to become aware of the frightening reality that surrounds their existence. Unless we let younger viewers grow aware of the reality, we can’t change the aberrations in society. So yes, I won’t settle for an A-certificate. Let me make films that have a social purpose. Or I go back to making ‘De Dana Dan’.”

Kumar Mangat’s earlier film “Omkara”, which replicated the visual and vocal violence of the North Indian backwater town, also was given an A-certificate.

We had agreed to take an A-certificate for ‘Omkara’. We want a UA (for children under parental guidance) for ‘Aakrosh’, said Mangat.